Means for facilitating surface transportation



April 13 1926.

H. R. MILLER MEANS FOR FACILITATING SURFACE TRANSPORTATION File 2 1925 4 Sheets-:Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 4 flung/P MzZZgr r 42mg April 13 1926.

H. R. MILLER MEANS FDR FACILITATING SURFACE TRANSPORTATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 0 1925 ATTOR Y.

April 13 1926. 1,580,214

H. R MILLER MEANS FOR FACILITATING SURFACE TRANSPORTATION Filed lar h 1925 4 Sheets-Shoot 5 6 INVENTOR. #mezyiPfi/uAEE ATT BY a f April 13 1926.-

H. R. MILLER MEANS FOR FACILITATING SURFACE TRANSPORTATION Filed March 20, 1925 4' Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 7442 1 7?)71'122 2/ Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY a. MILLER, or DETRQIT,'MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 sononn, or DETROIT, ICHIGAN;

PAT-Eur OFFICE- MEANS FOR FACILITATING SURFACE TRAnsron'rArIoN;

Application filed March 20, 1925. Serial no. 16,915. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. MILLER, a Citizen of the United states 'and resident of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and Stateof Michigan, have invented new and useful 11nproveinents in Means for Facilitating Surface Transportation, of which the following is specification. r v g This invention relates to a method and apparatus for facilitating surface transportation on the streets of cities and towns.

, The primary object of my'invention is the provision of means for enabling passengers to readily board and leave street cars at busy street intersections without endanger,- ing their lives and yet without requiring the stopping or even slowing down of vehicular traffic other than. the street cars themselves. It will be obvious that if the automobiles and other vehicles travelling on the same street are not required to stop behind stopping street cars, as is now the case in practically every city. that the aggregate travel of the vehicular traffic on that street will be materially increased, enabling the use of the street by a greater number of vehicles in a given time and so gaining advantages equivalent to widening the street. 7 Also the now prevalent congesting of tratiic behind each street car will be avoided and the vehicles will move in a more steady stream. I

Another object of my invention is the arrangement of depots for passengers between the street car tracks at. predetermined intervals and adapted both to shelter prospective passengers before they board a street car.

bound in either direction and to receive passengers emerging from street cars on both tracks. Another object of the invention isthe connection of such depots located in the center of the street with the pavements by passageways on a different level than the street,

whereby pedestriansinay reach the depots and depart therefrom to the pavements withoutcrossing in front of vehicular trafhc.

Another object of the invention is the arrangement of automatic signaling means whereby the lnotormen of approaching street cars will be informed of the presence of prospective passengers in the depots, and enable the street cars, to ,continueat full speed by depots in which prospective passengers are not waiting.

A further object of the invention is the NICHOLAS .I.

provi'sionofa plurality of doors orgates be- A tweenthe depots and the street car tracks which can be op'enedfonly when a, street car 1s achacent the depot, and wluch must be flgfllllClOSQd before the street car can depart.

from the" depot. V

1 Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompany ing drawings illustrating aipreferred embodimentof my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings: Fig; 1 is a plan view of a depot located between the street car tracks centrally of a street and the connections for pedestrians A toenter and leave the depotwithout crossing in front of-vehicles on the street.

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview ofthe depot. Fig. ,3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 415 an enlarged detail plan view of an entrance from one of the'tunnelways to the depot. 2 Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section ofthe automatic operating means for signaling the presence of prospective passengers in the depot. o 1

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of the circuit whereby suchisignal is energized and 'a-utomaticallyreset by the passage of a street car. 1 1

V Fig. 7 is a detail diagrammatic view showing the means for operating the doors at the sidesof the'depots only when a street car is adjacent a depot; and V Fig. 8 is a detail section through one of the depots andshowing a modified means for pedestrians entering and leaving the depot without crossing in front of the street. V Referring now to the drawings, thenumeral 5 designates a depot arranged between street car tracks 6 and 7 at any desired location. Asillustrated in Fig. 1 the depot 5 is arranged adjacent one extremity of a city block, with connections 8 for pedestrians to pass from the depot 5 to the pave,- ment of the cross street 9 as well as to the pavements 1O paralleling the depot. It will be understood, however, that the illustrated embodiment herein disclosed is only for pur-' poses of exemplification, and that the depot 5 may be arranged at anydcsiredlocat-ion between the tracks 6 and 7. In practice it is intended to utilize depots 5 at predetermined intervals of say three or four city blocks to enable the street cars traveling on tracks 6 and 7 to move with suflicient speed between depots and yet place the depots within convenient reach of prospective passengers. Each depot 5 may be of any desired length, and will be of varying lengths according to the number of passengers entering and leaving street cars at each loca tion. It is intended that each depot 5 be of sufficient length to permit a plurality of street cars 11 to stop adjacent the depot so that passengers can emerge from and enter the street cars simultaneously at several doors, whereby greater speed in handling the passengers is possible.

Provisions are made for pedestrians to enter and leave each depot 5 without crossing in front of vehicular raftic passing between the depots and the pavements 10. In Figs. 1 and 3 are shown tunnelways 12 below the surface of the street 13, stairs 1 1 being arranged between the tunnelways and the eX- tremities of the depot 5 and stairs 15 be tween the sides of the tunnelways 12 and pavements 10. Preferably the tunnelways 12 at the ends of the depots 5 are utilized for guiding passengers from the depot to the pavements 10, and other tunnelways 16 arranged substantially centrally of the depot 5 are utilized for guiding prospective passengers from the pavements 10 to the depot, stairs 17 being arranged at the ends of the tunnelways 16 from the pavements 10 and other stairs 18 being arranged in the central portion of the depot (note Fig. 1). By thus arranging separate tunnelways for incom- .ing prospective passengers substantially centrally of the depot, while passengers who have emerged from street cars 11 leave the depot by way of the end tunnelways 12, I am enabled to handle a considerable number of pedestrians in each depot without confusion or material inconvenience. The jostling and collisions ordinarily ocur-ring when two streams of pedestrians are passing through the same tunnelway is entirely avoided, and the'slight inconvenience due to the necessity of walking tothe end of the depot before leaving same is more than recompensed by the freedom of travel when all pedestrians are moving in the same direction. lVhenever desired a plurality of exits maybe provided in each tunnelway, and at the right extremity of the depot illustrated in Fig. 1 I have shown flights of stairs 15 leading from the tunnelway 12 to the pavements 10 and additional flights 15 leading to the pavements 9" of a cross street 9. Accordingly, pedestrians may emerge from the tunnelway 12 on either the cross street 9 or the pavements of the street on which the tracks 6 and 7 are placed.

The floor of each depot 5 is raised above the surface of the street, as best shown in Fig. 2, and the ends 5 of each depot are preferably reinforced and extended a few feet above thesurface of the street to provide a substantial abutment to withstand the shocks of automobiles colliding with the ends of the depot. The ends of the depot above the reinforced abutment 5 are preferably made of reinforced metal and glass so as to aid in illuminating the interior of the depot. The sides of the depot 5 are preferably arranged with a plurality of slidable doors 19 and all of the doors on each side are adapted to be simultaneously opened by compressed air or other suitable means only when a street car or train of cars is on the track at that side of the depot. The purpose of this is twofold. Firstly, since the doors are closed when street cars are not adjacent the depot, it is impossible for thoughtless or evil-minded pedestrians from entering the depot through the doors 19. Instead, they are forced to enter the depot through the entrance tunnelways 16 and stairs 18. Secondly, by opening the doors 19 only after the street cars have stopped adjacent the depot, the danger of prospective passengers being struck by the approaching cars is obviated.

One means for controlling the opening of the doors 19 by the presence of the street cars on the track adjacent the depot is shown in Fig. 7. The wheel 11 represents one of the wheels of a street car or train of cars on the track section 6 which track section is mounted on heavy springs so as to be depressed by the weight of the street car 11. When so depressed the track section 6 bridges the spaced contacts 20 and 21 and closes the circuit for energizing the solenoid 22. When so energized the core 23 of the solenoid is drawn into the solenoid and swings the lever 24 of the safety valve 25 against the tension of the spring 26, and in so doing the safety valve 25 is positioned to permit the flow of compressed air from the. tank 27 through the pipe 28 to the pipe 29 arranged between the safety valve 25 and the manually operated valve 30. Accordingly, after the safety valve 25 has been automatically positioned by the depression of the rail '6 it is only necessary to swing the hand lever '30 to bring the valve 31 into proper posit-ion to permit the flow of compressed air from the pipe 29 to the pipe 32 leading to the operating cylinder 33, whereupon the incoming air forces the piston 34 along the cylinder 33 to slide the door 19, which is suitably connected with the stem 35 of the piston. It will be understood that each door 19 is connected with an operating piston so that the throwing of the manual valve 31 will simultaneously open all of the doors. A return valve 36 is arranged in the pipe the valve 36 'isso'connected with the current for operating the streetcars that the current will pass only after the valve '36 has been thrown and the doors closed. WVliile'this is not essential to the operation of my improved method of facilitating transportation, it-

would materially .aid in reducing accidents,

and eliminate the possibility of prospective passengers entering the cars as the'cars are getting in motion.

Means are provided withineach depot 5 for automatically signaling to the motormen of approaching street cars the presence of prospective passengers within'the depot. As best illustrated in-Figs. 2, 4 and 5, turnstiles 38 are arranged between side rails 39 adjacent the incoming flights of stairs 18, which, as hereinbe'fore described, are preferably arranged substantially centrally of thedepot,

Accordingly, the prospective passengers entering the depot by way of the stairs 18 must pass through a turnstile 38, and parti ally revolve same. If desired, the turnstile 38 may be operated only upon the placing of a coin in a proper slot, or controlled by an operator so as to be turned only after the prospective passenger has paid his fare,

though such construction formsno part of the present invention. The revolution of the.

turnstile 38, however, is utilized to throw aswitch for the illumination of signal lamps,

or otherwise imparting desired informationto the motormen of approaching cars. One example of such a SWli'iClI and signal mechanisms is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The

arm 38 of the turnstile is adapted to contact a slidable switch member 40 when such switch member is extended into the orbit of the arm 38 The engagement of the arm 38 with the extended switch member 40 will force the switch member outwardly against the tension of the spring 41'to bring the metallic portion 42 of the switch'member into engagement with a stationary contact 43 on a companion switchmember 44 (note Fig. 5) to thereby close acircuit to illuminate the signal lamps 45and 46, whichas best shown in Fig.2 are preferably located at the ends of the depot5. In its outward travel from the open position shown in Fig. 5 to closed position the switch member 40 will ride over the spring pressed latch member 47, herein shown as forming a part of the core of a solenoid 48 arranged below the switch member 40, and after riding over the latch member 47, the switch member 40 will be held by the latch member in closed posi-' tion, in which position it is beyond the orbit,

of travel of the turnstile arms 38*. "Accordingly, the circuit for illuminating the signal lights 45 and 46 will remain closed until the switch member 40 is reset. Such resetting is preferabl under the cont-r01 of the street cars 7 themselves, so that the passage of a street car by the depot willopen the signal WVhen the solenoid 48 is so energized, the

latch member 47 willbe retracted into the solenoid and permit the spring 41'to return the switch member 40 to the open position shown in Fig: 5, ,breakingthe circuit .for

illuminating the signal lamps. Thedepressible rail section49 maybe situated anap- Ipropr-iate distance beyond the depot5if so desired, whereby the signal circuit will be broken only after the street car has left the depot. Y r

Itwill be understood that the street cars wlill stop only at depots where the signal lights 45 and 46. indicate the presence of prospective passengers. Otherwise the street carswill proceed by such depot at full speed.

The rail section 49 is suitably As best shown in Fig. '1 the. tracks 6 and 7 are gradually widened from the usual track positions in the center of the streetv tov the positions adjacent the'si'des of the depots 5, the gradual .iwidening per mitting the street cars tov travel at un= diminished speed by depots wherein no pro.-

spectivepassengers are waiting. This aids in. speeding up the travel of the street cars themselves; The travel of other vehicles on the same streetxwith the .street cars is greatly facilitated by my improved methodof transpo'rtat'ion, inasmuch as the :presence of pedestrians on the street between the pave-.

'ments 10 and the depots 5 is eliminated.

Moreover, since emerging passengers leave the street cars between thetracks, there is no necessity of automobiles-"and other vehicles stopping when the streetcars stop. The result is a continuing stream of vehicular traflic on the street regardless of the position of the street cars whereby an additional number of vehicles may use the street without congestion of traffic. Oficourse, vehicles may drive upon the street car tracks at all places except where the street cars are actually present, and accordingly the widening of the street car tracks 6, and

7 adjacent the depots 5 does not materiallyreduce the amount of street space available for the use of automobiles and like vehicles. The width of the depots 5 is ordinarily no greater than the usual width of the outside tracks 6 and 7 at places other than adja- 'cent depots. My system of facilitating transportation accordingly greatly facilitates the passage of vehicular traffic other than street cars, and in addition permits the speeding up of the street cars themselves without endangering the lives of pedestrians and prospective passengers. If desired pedestrians other than prospective passengers for the street cars may pass through the tunnelways 12 in crossing the street from one pavement 10 to the other, and ac cordingly all pedestrians may be removed from the surface of the street, which is accordingly left open for vehicular travel only.

In Fig. 8 I have shown an alternative way of permitting the passage of pedestrians from one pavement to the other or from the pavement to the depot 5 or vice versa without crossing in front of vehicular traffic on the surface of the street. An elevated bridgeway 58 extends from raised flights of stairs 54 and 55 on the pavements 56 and 57, whereby pedestrians may cross the street 58 above the level of the vehicular traffic passing thereon. Suitable flights of stairs 59 also lead from the central portion of the bridge .53 to the interior of the depot 5 between the street car tracks, whereby prospective passengers may enter the depot 5 without endangering their lives.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated en'ibodiment of my invention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, mpdilication and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A method of facilitating vehicular transportation on city streets which consists of providing street car tracks substantially centrally of the street, depots between street corners for sheltering prospective passen-'gers and pedestrians arranged between the car tracks at predetermined intervals, and passageways for pedestrians from one side of the street to the other and from each side of the street to the depots arranged on a different level from that of the street.

2. A method of facilitating vehicular transportation on city streets which consists of giving over to vehicular traflic all the street surface except the central portion thereof, providing street car tracks in such central portion spaced varying distances from each other, providing depots between street corners for sheltering prospective passengers and pedestrians between the car tracks at their widest spacings, providing pedestrian passageways on a different level from the street from the depots to the sides of the street and from one side of the street to the other, and providing additional passageways on a different level from the street for guiding pedestrians from the sides of the street to the depots.

3. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots between street corners ar'anged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, and passageways between the sides of the street and the depots arranged on a different level from the street surface.

4. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, passageways between the sides of the street and the depots arranged on a diflerent level from the street surface, and protective means at the end of the depot to withstand collision with vehicles on the street surface.

5. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, and passageways between the sides of the street and the depots arranged on a different level from the street surface, the ends of each depot being provided with abutments arranged to withstand collision with vehicles on the street surface.

6. Means for facilitating surface trans portation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, passageways between the sides of the street and the depots arranged on a different level from the street surface, the sides of the depots being provided with a plurality of slidable doors, means for simultaneously opening the doors on one side of a depot, and means under the control of the tracks for preventing the opening of the doors at all times except when street cars are adjacent a depot.

7 Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of the street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, passageways between the sides of the street and the depots arranged on a different level from the street surface, the sides of the depots be ing provided with a plurality of slidable doors, means for simultaneously opening the doors on one side of a depot, and means under the control of the tracks for preventing the opening of the doors at all times except when street cars are adjacent a depot,including a safety valve arranged in the door opening means and movable to and from safety position by the weight of street cars on the tracks adj acent the depot.

8. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between street corners and between the tracks at predetermined intervals, passageways for pedestrians arranged on a different level from the street and connecting the ends of the depots with the sides of the street, and additional passageways arranged on a different level from the street for leading prospective street car passengers from the sides of the street to the central portion of the depots. I

9. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between street corners and between the tracks at predetermined intervals, passageways for pedestrians arranged below the level of the street and connecting the ends of the depots with the sides of the street, and additional passageways arranged below the level of the street for leading prospective street car passengers from the sides of the street to the central portion of the depots.

10. Means forfacilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined inter- 1 vals, passageways forpedestrians arranged below the level of the street and connecting the ends of the depots with the sides of the street, additional passageways arranged below the level of the street for leading prost pective street car passengers from thesides of the street to the central portion of the depots, turnstiles arranged in the depots'adjacent the terminals of the incoming pas sageways, and means under the control of the turnstiles for signaling to the motormen of street cars on said tracks of the presence of prospective passengers within the depots 11. Means for facilitating surface trans.

portation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals, passageways for pedestrians arranged below the level of the street and connecting the ends of the depots with the sides of the street, additional passageways arranged on a different level from the street for lead ing prospective street car passengers iflOln the sides of the street to the central portion vof the depots, turnstiles arranged in the depots adjacent the terminals of the incoming passageways, and means under the control of the turnstiles for signaling tothe'motormen of street cars on said tracksof the presence of prospective passengers within the depots, including signal lamps at the ends of the depots, a circuit for illuminating the lamps,

and a switch arranged in said circuit and operable upon the revolution of a turnstile;

12. Means for facilitating surface transportation including spaced street car tracks on the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined intervals and having their floor level above the Qtioued on the tracks adjacent that side of the depot. o

13. Means for facilitatingsurface transportation including spaced street car tracks on'the surface of a street, depots arranged between the tracks at predetermined inter vals and having their floor level above the surface of the street, a series of doors at the sides of each depot to prevent the entrance of pedestrians into the depot from the street, passageways arranged on a different level from the street wherein pedestrians may pass from the sides of the street to the depot and vice versa, and means for simultaneously opening all of the doors on one side of the depot when street cars are'posi tioned on the track adjacent that side of the depot. o

14. Means for facilitating surface transportation on city streets including street car tracks-spacedfrom each other and from the sides of the street, a depot between the spaced tracks and located between street corners for sheltering prospective passengers, a passageway'below the surface of the street connecting the side walls'with the depot, the street being clear of obstructions between the depot and curb whereby when street cars are not present the whole space between depot and curb will be available for vehicular trafiic. i

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand. l

- HARRY R. MILLER. 

